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“Fuck no. I’m not falling for that.”
But looking at Étienne’s face, I had the horrible, sinking realization.
He wasn’t lying. He was telling the truth.
“I have all the information you need to find her,” Étienne said, holding up a pack of folded papers. “Your true love is within a few days’ reach.”
His words were for Hugo, but his eyes were on me.
“You’re a liar,” Hugo said.
“I’ve verified it’s really her. And she’s not that far away.”
“Romy is married.”
“But what kind of a man is she married to?” Étienne countered, and I couldn’t stand it anymore.
“You manipulative little shit!” I snarled, stalking up to my big husband, my hand around his throat even though I couldn’t have strangled him if I wanted to. I wanted to tear him limb from limb so he felt a fraction of the pain Hugo had for years.
Étienne’s breath caught in his throat as my angry hands closed around his neck.
“Choke me!” he insisted fiercely, his hands on mine, trying to tighten my hold. “Take what you need—punish me how you want—do what you need to forgive me!”
“My forgiveness isn’t something to be bargained for! And how dare you come here and taunt Hugo like that! Get the hell out of here!”
My husband’s face was white with jealousy, the carved léger on his forehead standing out in stark white lines.
“Oh, so you’ll fight for Hugo?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I shot at him. “Hugo has always been there for me. Are you scared he’ll take me away?”
“No one could ever take you away from me!”
“Oh, really? I guess that’s true. You lost me all by yourself.”
His high cheekbones under the tan were almost bone-white, and he was pressed against the gate, every tendon in his arms standing out as he yanked at the bars.
“Look me in the eyes and tell me you feel nothing for me,” Étienne demanded.
I took a step closer and looked right up at him, trying not to breathe in his familiar scent.
“You’re right. I don’t feel nothing. I feel absolute loathing for the way you treated me.”
“I fucked up, I—”
“And Hugo,” I added, as he tore at the bars like a panther. “You imprisoned him for years.”
“Léonie—” my brother-in-law said, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder, to encourage me to come away from where my husband and I were in a bitter standoff.
But I wouldn’t let him sacrifice himself for my happiness when his own was in reach.
“Hugo,” Étienne put in quickly. “I apologize for what I did. I shouldn’t have listened to Mme. Truthfully, I was too ready to be persuaded that you were a liability to the family. I was too jealous of my position, too willing to do anything to solidify it. That was the cause of everything I fucked up.”
Hugo frowned.
“You saw me as a liability, yet you came frequently to where you imprisoned me, to get my help with the Bastide business. You are a bâtard.”
“I apologize,” Étienne said again. “Unreservedly. I am trying to make it right.”
